The Greek island
of Chios is in the Northeastern Aegean sea midway between the islands
of Samos and Lesvos. The island is only 5 miles (8 Km) from the west coast
of Turkey, it is the fifth largest island in Greece. Documents records
a a small Jewish population from at least 1049 CE to 1944 CE. Today there
are no Jews living on Chios.

Location

Historically the
island was known for it's wealth and large populus. The main city on the
island of Chios is also called Chios. It is located on the eastern coastline
looking over the straight to the Turkish mainland of Anatolia. Because
of the position of its port, neighboring a rich land, and controlling
the narrow passage to Constantinople, the island has always been considered
geographically important.

Figure
1. Map indicating island of Chios.

Figure
2. Map of the island of Chios

IslandName Origins

There are two theories
on how the island received it's name. The first is that the name Chios
stems from "Chiona," who was the daughter of the island's ancient King
Inopion. The other theory is that comes from the name "Hios," the son
of Neptune, at the birth of whom, too much snow (hioni) fell on the island.
Folklore contends Chios was the birthplace of both the Greek poet Homer
in 8 BCE, and that of Christopher Columbus in 1451. Today a persons from
Chios would be called a "Chiote" in Greek, and a "Chian"
in English.

SpellingVariations

CHIOS

(Pronounced
HE-OHS) Common name and spelling for the island in English speaking countries.
It is the English translation of the Greek Xios.

XIOS / XIO

Spelling of
the name utilizing the Greek letter "chi (X)". It is used in
maps, and documents written in the Greek language. The Greek letter "chi
(X)" is pronounced like the letters H, and sometimes CH as in English.

HIOS

Greek spelling of the name
in Latin characters. Hios is the version that the Greek government
uses, and seems to be pronunced (by non-Greek speakers) the closest to
the Greek Xios. Hios is used commonly for maps, and documents
written for English speaking people, developed by Greek authors; this
is so people will properly pronounce the name.

KHIOS

Turkish spelling variation
of the Greek name Hios. To a Greek person however, they might agree
this was an incorrect or archaic spelling, but to a Turkish person, the
spelling would be correct. It is utilized on documents and maps printed
in Turkey, usually as a subheading for Sakiz [see below].

SAKIZ ADASSI

This is how the modern Republic
of Turkey refers to the island--in the Turkish language.

SCIO / SCHIOS / SCIOS

Scio
is the Italian spelling for Chios. Chios was under Italian control for
almost 300 years until the Ottoman Turks took the island in 1566. Scioti,
Sciotti, or Hiotis or Chiotis has been known to exist
as a surname of people with roots in Chios. This variant was also the
commonly used name for the island on maps prior to 1900 CE.

Chios Hidden Inconspicuously
on an Immigration Document

The following United States immigration
document from 1931 demonstrates the subject's surname as Yerushalmi, and
that he is from Rhodes. This type of document (available from the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service) provides information on family
origins, and in this case, has an indirect reference to Chios. In Figure
3. notice point A., this indicates he stated his race was Hebrew, and point
B., that his nationality is Spanish. The subject and his family had roots
in the Jewish community of Chios, however, this subject lived on the island
of Rhodes prior to emigrating to America. This correlates with family
interviews, confirmed by two different relatives who were related, but who
had never met, that the family was originally from the Island of Chios,
and subsequently migrated to Rhodes. Note: the document mentions Naples,
Italy, but only as a point of departure for the ship SS Canopic, this is
unrelated to the family origins.

Figure 3. This
document demonstrates the subject's original surname was SCIOTI, meaning
"one from Chios." It is spelled using the Italian variation
of the name "SCIOS," as the island of Rhodes (where the subject
was raised) was occupied by the Italian government since he was 11 years
old. Thus Italian was one of his spoken languages.

History

A small
population of Jews have been reported living on the island since at least
1049 CE. ("The "Jews of Chios (1049)" Mediterranean Historical Review Vol
10. No. 1-2 pp. 218-225). The island came under control of the Romans late
in their history, after the Empire split up. Chios continued under the leadership
of the Byzantine government, but later in the 13th century was taken over
by two of the Italian Republics, the Venetians (with their unique architecture),
and then the Genovese, of whom Chios prospered under. Although the Byzantine
empire lasted technically to 1453 when the Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople,
it wasn't until 1566 when the Turks took over the island of Chios; for the
next 346 years the island would be occupied by the Turks and their Islamic
culture.

Jewish
Population

Chios has had a
Jewish population of Romanoit Jews (hellenized Latin word meaning Greek)
well before the inquisition and the subsequent Iberian diaspora, and well
before the Jewish "golden era." Romanoite Jews were the descendants of
the Jews who were slaves brought to the Roman lands from

Palestine--which
was then under Roman rule. These Jews had developed their own customs,
and they spoke a language known commonly today as Judeo-Greek. Remnants
of this unique tradition still survive in parts of Greece today. However,
even though the Jews had a presence in Chios prior to 1492, historical
records before this period only refer to a few events in the history of
these island Jews.

While
visiting the island around 14 BCE it was told that the non Torah compliant
King Herod (King of Judea) was received by all that wanted an audience with
him. Herod came to see the thriving city for himself, and paid off debts
the islanders' owed to the Romans. During the visit Herod had his workers
rebuild the failing sea wall and parts of the fortress where the Jews lived.
Benjamin of Tudela, visited the island and met with the Jewish leaders Eliah
Thiman and Schabtai. The Jewish population at the time was said to be at
least 500 strong. The Venetian and Genovese left their mark, with Chios
Jewish families having kept Italian surnames like Scandalli, Segala, and
Gaspari. While visiting in the 14th century, the Talmud codifier and author
of the Arban Tourin, Rabbi Jacob ben Asher of Toledo and his ten men fell
ill and died on the island.

Throughout the dark
ages and medieval years, Chios was known as a significant Mediterranean
seaport as it was a landmark separating East and West. In 1346 when the
Genovese took the island over, many Jewish financiers and merchants arrived
with them. This is evident by the notarized seals found with Jewish Italian
surnames on historical deeds from the period. The Jews were afforded security
and economic prospects by the Genovese on the island. As Argenti states
in The Religious Minority of Chios "they (Genovese) did not wish to kill
the goose that laid the golden eggs!"

Daily Life on
the Island

There was a flourishing
city on Chios which thrived in trading pottery, wine, marble, silk, and
mastic resin. This resin is a unique and valuable product that is produced
by the mastic
tree which grows only on Chios. In the past this island has been a target
for various attacks and conquerors because of the importance of this product.
This defensive need against foreign invaders led to the creation of defensive
architecture. The most notable of such is the large Chios fortress which
lies north of the island's modern capital. It played an important role
in the medieval and modern history of Chios, being the center of its political
and military government. At one time it enclosed the island's entire main
city, but soon the town expanded outside the precinct of its walls.

Figure 4. 16th century
painting of Chios. Notice the city walls (fort).

The
Jews of Chios lived within this structure and in 1607 a visitor named Giust
described the Juderia (known as the Ghioudeka) as the loveliest part of
the fortress, "far away from the noise of the town." There were approximately
200 Jewish families living there around 1750. Their Synagogue (a wooden
structure) was called Kahal Kadosh Baal ha-Turim (Holy Congregation
[of the] Master of the Turim). Was probably named after the famous 14th
century German born, but Spanish resident of Toledo, Spain, Rabbi Jacob
ben Asher (Argenti). R'
Asher (also known to history as The Tur) wrote extensively on issues dealing
with Jewish worship and ritual observance in the home and synagogue.

The close relationship
of the different ethnic groups was demonstrated when in 1897 a new quai
was to be inaugurated on Chios, and the Grand Mufti (Muslim religious
leader) of the island was to deliver the prayers. He was ill, as was his
associate, so the Turkish governor requested the Chief Rabbi to deliver
the prayers. The prayers were delivered in Hebrew to the audience of the
Ottoman authorities, Greek Christians, and the Jewish community. (Stavroulakis,
Nicholas P. Jewish Sites and Synagogues of Greece. Talos Press: Athens,
1992.)

Jewish Commerce

Documents
from the 14th and 15th century discuss Jews trading in everything from soap
to carpets. One notary document in particular names a Jewish grain merchant
Michaeli Nicosia who was trading in wine which was grown by the islands'
Jewish community.

In 1492 after the
Edict of Expulsion was signed by The Catholic Kings which banished all
Jews from Spain, Ottoman Sultan Bayazid II offered to accept many of these
fleeing Spanish refugees. The Sultan would allow the Jews to continue
to practice their own religion; this was quite different than what the
Christian rulers of the same period felt--considering they thought all
religions other than their own should cease to exist.

Because of it's large
harbor and merchant inhabitants, Chios became one of many entry points
for Sephardic Jews. Many moved on to nearby Smyrna (now Izmir) and other
Ottoman lands. However, many Jews stayed on the island renewing its vigor
by bringing new intellect and culture. Historical documents demonstrate
a significant number of Spanish surnames within the population; and around
this time Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) songs and stories took up a position
in Chios tradition. The number of Sephardic Jews who arrived overwhelmed
the Romaniots who were not as well educated in the religious law, or as
well formed in terms of scholarly works. Eventually, Sephardic customs,
language, and traditions superseded the Romaniot culture in most cities.

The Sultan was tolerant
of the Jews. This can easily be seen in the fact that large Jewish communities
existed in the all of the Ottoman lands until the end of the Empire. The
Sephardic community even built a new synagogue on Chios as late as 1890
[however the building has since been razed, and according to the Central
Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, there are no available photographs
of the building]. As a non-Muslim community in the Ottoman Empire, the
Jews kept their own courts, schools, and welfare systems; this type of
community was known as a millet. The members of these self-run millets
were pleased to have these functions in their own hands, and the Ottoman
government was relieved of the necessity of providing this themselves.
Religious toleration on the island was not perfect. Ottoman life was definitely
Islamic life, and this gave preference to Muslims in all parts of community
and government. Jews were an accepted, but lower class.

Jews were involved
with the production of the islands' most valuable commodity, mastic. The
wealthier Jews financed the operation and acted as a go between to the
Muslim Turks and the Orthodox Christian Greeks. The producers of the product
were funded by the Jews, and after harvest, the debts were paid off. The
majority of Jews who did not have much worked as cloth dyers; this was
an occupation practiced in both Iberia and North Africa before the 15th
century diaspora. Other common occupations for Sephardic Jews of the time
were the making of silk garments, weaving, wine production, and even olive
farming.